The Huashan Social Welfare Foundation serves 346 elderly people who live on their own in the Keelung area and every year on Lunar New Year’s Eve the foundation sends them New Year dishes. However, due to the impact of last year’s Formosa Fun Coast dust explosion incident, the recent election and other events, this year the foundation has only been able to raise 70 percent of the required funds. Fortunately, last week on Thursday, Keelung’s Bao Sheng Shipping Agency Co Ltd announced it would undertake to purchase all 346 of the meals so that Keelung’s elderly who live alone can also enjoy a happy New Year.
Last Thursday morning, the foundation’s Anle District service station, along with Bao Sheng Shipping Agency president, Chen Chih-chao, Taiwan International Ports Corporation Ltd secretary general, Lin Su-ju and others went to visit a 90-year-old grandmother, surnamed Fang, on Dingguo Street. The whole crowd tasted New Year dishes, chatted together, put up Spring Festival couplets and prepared for a lively performance by children from Sun Flower Kindergarden; it was a picture of contentment and happiness.
In her younger years, Fang had woven clothes for a living. In recent years her children have one by one passed away, so that for many years there have been no family members to keep Fang company. Furthermore, her eyesight and hearing have deteriorated and it is not easy for her to move about anymore. Fang says, “These last few years I have eaten the New Year meal on my own. I am so happy for the care I have received from the foundation’s community workers, thank you!”
Photo: Lin Hsin-han, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者林欣漢
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY EDWARD JONES)
華山基金會在基隆地區服務三百四十六位獨居長輩，每年農曆年節前夕都會為獨老送年菜，但受到八仙塵爆、選舉等影響，今年僅募到七成，基隆寶昇船務代理公司上週四宣布認購全數年菜，讓獨老好過年。
上個禮拜四上午，華山安樂天使站偕同寶昇船務董事長陳致超、基隆港務分公司主任秘書林素如等人到定國街探視九十歲的方奶奶，眾人一起品嚐年菜、話家常，張貼春聯，並安排向日葵幼兒園小朋友熱舞表演，場面溫馨歡樂。
方奶奶早年以編織衣物維生，近年子女陸續過世，已多年沒有親人陪伴，且視力、聽力受損，行動不是很方便，她說，這幾年過年都是一個人吃飯，很開心華山社工來關懷，「謝謝！」
(自由時報記者林欣漢)
If you think you’re cool and know all the latest trends, then here’s a question for you: What does the word “brat” mean? If you said something like, “a child who behaves badly or is annoying or rude,” you might not be as hip as you think. This four-letter word now has a new definition that has become quite popular. Its popularity caught the eye of Collins Dictionary, which crowned it as “Word of the Year 2024.” According to this new meaning of brat, it is used as an adjective to describe someone who has a confident, independent, and hedonistic
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